Red Velvet Cake Roll

When one of the girls in my Bible study has a birthday, I let her choose her favorite meal for dinner and make her favorite dessert.  When Alyssa had her birthday I was excited to make something red velvet!  I knew that we probably wouldn't eat a whole 2 layer cake, so I decided to try this Paula Deen Red Velvet cake roll. 

Some people are really intimidated by cake rolls, and I was before I tried my first one, but they really aren't hard at all.  The main thing to shoot for is to have your towel laid out and dusted w/powdered sugar so you're ready to go as soon as the cake comes out.  Work quickly and everything will be fine!  I decided to do a step by step for this recipe so you can see this done for yourself :)

1. Mix the batter

2.  Fold in the beaten egg whites

3.  Spread the cake batter evenly in a greased parchment-lined jellyroll pan--then bake!

 4.  While cake is baking, dust a clean dishtowel with powdered sugar, approximately the same shape/size as the cake pan.

 5.  Dump cake (parchment side up) onto prepared dish towel.  Then pull parchment off back of cake.

 6.  Dust cake w/more powdered sugar (helps keep it from sticking to the towel)

 7. Starting from one of the narrow ends, quickly roll the cake and towel together as if you were rolling up a cinnamon roll.  Then allow cake to cool while rolled up (sticking it in the fridge will make it go faster)

 8.  While cake is cooling, prepare the cream cheese filling.

 10.  Once cake is completely cooled, unroll cake, but don't press it flat, it should stay somewhat curled.

 11.  Spread the cake w/cream cheese filling, then roll back up (not w/towel this time) and wrap in plastic wrap (to help it hold it's shape, and allow to sit for at least an hour.

 12.  When ready to serve, dust w/powdered sugar.

Red Velvet Cake Roll
from Paula Deen's Chocolate Celebration magazine

Cake roll:
5     large eggs, separated
1/2  cup sugar, divided
2     tablespoons buttermilk
1     teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1     (1 oz.) bottle red food coloring
1/2   cup cake flour
1/3   cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1      teaspoon baking soda
1/4   teaspoon salt
1/4   cup confectioners' sugar
Cream Cheese white chocolate filling

1.  Preheat oven to 350'.  Coat a 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray; line with wax paper, and coat with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2.  Beat egg yolks at medium speed with an electric mixer until thick & pale.  Add 1/2 cup sugar, beating well.  Beat in buttermilk, vinegar, and food coloring.
3.  In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, adn salt; sift.  Gradually add to egg mixture, beating until combined.
4.  In a medium bowl, beat egg whites at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until foamy.  Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Fold eggs into chocolate mixture.
5.  Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.
6.  Sift 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar in a 15x10-inch rectangle on a cloth towel.  Immediately loosen cake from sides of pan, and turn out onto prepared towel.  Peel off wax paper.  Sift remaining 2 tablespoons confections' sugar over cake.  Starting at narrow end, roll up cake & towel together; place cake, seam side down, on a wire rack.  Cool cake completely.
7.  Gently unroll cake roll.  Spread with Cream Cheese White Chocolate Filling. Reroll cake without towel; place seam side down on a serving platter.  Dust cake with confectioners' sugar, if desired.  Cut into 3/4 in. slices to serve.  Garnish with chocolate sauce and fresh mint leaves, if desired.


Cream Cheese White Chocolate Filling:
1      (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/4   cup butter, softened
1      teaspoon vanilla extract
4      cups confectioners' sugar
1     cup coarsely chopped white-chocolate morsels (i omitted)

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese & butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in vanilla.  Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.  Stir in white chocolate morsels.